Dennis A. Vanderginst

Dennis VanDerGinst is the President/CEO of VanDerGinst Law, one of the most successful personal injury law firms in the country. He has been a tireless advocate for his clients and a stalwart ambassador for his profession. As a result, he has been recognized as one of the best in the country by clients, peers, and other professionals. Dennis received his law degree from DePaul University in Chicago. He is licensed to practice in Illinois, Iowa, Washington D.C., and the federal courts. During his career he has represented clients in almost every state of the country. The focus of his practice has been on helping injured people. The law firm which bears his name has represented over 50,000 injury victims during his career, in all areas of personal injury law including but not limited to: motor vehicle accidents, product liability, premises liability, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse and neglect, worker’s compensation, mass and class actions, and all types of negligence cases. His dedication to his clients has earned Dennis and his firm the prestigious Torch Award for Ethics, awarded by the Better Business Bureau, marking the first time this honor was ever bestowed upon a lawyer or law firm in the region. Dennis has also been awarded the Client’s Choice Award from AVVO Lawyer Rating Service and Client Champion recognition from Martindale-Hubbell, the most established attorney rating service in the profession. In In 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 Dennis was voted as the Best Attorney in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois in a survey conducted by the Quad-City Times. He was runner-up for that honor in 2019. Dennis’s accomplishments and expertise within the profession have also won him accolades from his peers. He is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell Attorney Rating Service (the highest available rating) He has been designated a Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters, a staple in the legal profession, and has been rated Superb with a 10/10 rating from AVVO Lawyer Rating Service. Chicago Lawyer magazine has recognized Dennis as one of the Top Injury Lawyers in Illinoisand the Iowa Association for Justice has featured him in an article in IAJ’s magazine, Iowa Trial Lawyer. Dennis has been recognized as a “Top 100 Trial Lawyer”, by the National Trial Lawyers, an exclusive organization composed of the premier trial lawyers from across the country. Similarly, he has been selected for the following Specialty Recognitions of the NTL: Top 25 Brain Injury Trial Lawyer Top 10 Asbestos/Mesothelioma Trial Lawyer Top 25 Medical Malpractice Trial Lawyer Top 25 Motor Vehicle Accident Trial Lawyer Top 10 Nursing Home Trial Lawyer Top 25 Product Liability Trial Lawyer Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer He has likewise been selected as one of the top attorneys in the nation by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, the American Trial Lawyers Association, Premier Lawyers of America, and the American Society of Legal Advocates, among others. His success in the field of personal injury law is illustrated by his inclusion in the Multi-Million-Dollar Advocates Forum, whose membership is limited to those attorneys who have secured multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements, which he has done dozens of times in his career. His expertise has made him a reliable source of law-related information for numerous media outlets. He is often called upon to speak about legal and consumer issues in the news. He has been featured on the National Public Radio program, America’s Premier Lawyers, as well as on numerous regional and national radio and television programs and podcasts. In fact, he is the host of a very popular podcast, Legal Squeaks, which addresses legal and consumer issues which may impact ordinary people in their everyday lives. He has been profiled in Fortune magazine, and numerous news and/or law-related publications. Similarly, he has authored numerous legal articles in professional journals and magazines and has been an active speaker/lecturer at regional and national conferences, conventions, seminars, and webinars that focus on the importance of personal injury law. In addition, Dennis has taught Torts and Insurance law as an adjunct professor. He has been an extremely active member of several professional organizations such as the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Illinois and Iowa State Bar Associations, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, and the Iowa Association for Justice. Dennis has served on the Board of Managers for the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Board of Governors for the Iowa Association for Justice, and the Board of Trustees for the Pound Civil Justice Institute. He has also served as the State Delegate to AAJ for both Illinois and Iowa – the only person to ever serve in that capacity for both of those states. Additionally, he has served on the National Advisory Board for the National Crime Victims Bar Association and for the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America. His career accomplishments have earned him the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Who’s Who, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Premier Lawyers of America, and the Best Attorney-Lifetime Charter Membership from Rue Ratings’ Best Attorneys of America. Through his stewardship VanDerGinst Law became one of the first law firms in the country to embrace the powerful potential of the internet. The firm’s award-winning website, www.VLaw.com, has become a legal resource for other law firms, law students and lay people across the country. The VanDerGinst Law Facebook page is one of the most “liked” attorney Facebook pages in the world. In addition to consumer and legal news, the firm often uses their online platforms to present cases and legal issues to focus groups and online mock juries. Perhaps most important, Dennis has created a corporate culture at VanDerGinst Law which embraces the firm’s responsibilities as ambassadors of the profession and leaders in the community. The Mission of VanDerGinst Law, as authored by Dennis, is: To help people both in and out of the courtroom. In the courtroom the firm’s focus is on assisting those who have become injured or infirm on the job or due to the wrongdoing of others. Outside of the courtroom the firm’s focus is on helping those least able to help themselves, including the injured and infirm, the elderly and children. Additionally, the firm focuses on giving back to those to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude including first responders, veterans and active military, teachers, and front-line health care workers. To that end, his law firm has donated millions of dollars and countless hours to the organizations that support these initiatives and advance growth and prosperity in their communities. In recognition of his character and philanthropic efforts, Dennis was recognized by GQ’s “Better Men, Better World” campaign. In addition to his management responsibilities to the firm, Dennis oversees all injury cases and maintains an active caseload himself. He divides his time between each office and conducts Zoom meetings with all attorneys and staff each morning. Awards and Honors Super Lawyers® Selectees Dennis A. Vanderginst included in a Super Lawyers® list Honors Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award America's Premier Lawyers AV PREEMINENT Rating - Martindale-Hubbell Best Attorneys Network Best Attorneys of America, Rue Ratings Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics Client Champion - Martindale-Hubbell Client's Choice Award - AVVO Lawyer Rating Service International Who's Who Lifetime Honoree - Best Attorneys of America Million Dollar Advocates Forum Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum Nation's Top 1% Attorney - National Association of Distinguished Counsel Superb Rating (10/10) - AVVO Lawyer Rating Service Top 100 Litigation Lawyers - American Society of Legal Advocates Top 100 Trial Lawyers - American Trial Lawyers Association Top 100 Trial Lawyers - The National Trial Lawyers Top 500 Attorneys in America - LawDragon Publications Who's Who in American Law Other Sources of Feedback About Dennis A. Vanderginst Included on the 2026Illinois Super Lawyers list Past Lists 2025 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2024 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2023 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2022 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2021 Illinois Super Lawyers list 2020 Illinois Super Lawyers list

• Chief Executive Officer

• Depaul Legal Clinic, Student Attorney, 1988 - 1989
• Law Offices Of Elliot Samuels, Law Clerk, 1987 - 1989
• Law Offices Of Elliot Samuels, Associate Attorney, 1989 - 1990
• Law Offices Of Dennis Vanderginst, 1990 - 1991
• Wylie, Mulherin, Rehfeldt & Varchetto, P.C., Associate Attorney, 1991 - 1992
• Black Hawk College, Adjunct Professor of Torts and Insurance Law, 1993 - 1996
• Braud/Warner, LTD., Senior Associate Attorney, 1992 - 1994
• Braud/Warner, LTD., Partner, 1995 - 1999
• Braud, Westensee & Vanderginst, LTD., Managing Partner, 1999 - 2001
• Vanderginst, Roche & Westensee, LTD., Managing Partner, 2001 - 2004
• Languages
• English

• "Ask the Expert" , WOC Talk Radio, 2015 - Present
• Medical Malpractice in the OR, Association of Operating Room Nurses, Chicago, IL, 2018
• Monetary Compensation for Victims of Crime, National Crime Victim Bar Association, 2017
• Anatomy of a Mass Tort, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 2016
• Litigation, Insurance Claims, and How to Avoid Malpractice, St. Ambrose University Occupational Therapy Program, 2016

• Illinois, 1989
• Iowa, 1994
• Wisconsin, 1996
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1989
• U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois, 1992
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1990
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Iowa, 2017

• Academy of Trial Professionals, 2004 - 2005
• American Association for Justice, 1994 - Present
• American Bar Association, 1989 - Present
• Association of Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America ((former National Board of Directors member))
• Brain Injury Association, 1996 - Present
• Chicago Bar Association, 1997 - 2003
• Cook County Bar Association, 1989 - 1992
• DuPage County Bar Association, 1991 - 1993
• Illinois Brain Injury Association, 1996 - Present
• Illinois State Bar Association, 1992 - Present
• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 1992 - Present
• Iowa State Bar Association, 1994 - Present
• Iowa Trial Lawyers Association, 1994 - Present
• National Crime Victim Bar Association
• Pound Civil Justice Institute, 2004 - Present
• Rock Island County Bar Association, 1992 - Present
• Scott County Bar Association, 1994 - Present
• Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, 1998 - Present
• Winnebago County Bar Association; 1996-1998
• Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers; 1996-1999